Heaven is the place where all believers will go when we pass away. We have the blessing of Heaven because of Jesus' finished work on the cross. Since we know our fate is in Heaven, we can look forward to this day with a heart of joy. Although Heaven will not be our eternal home, we will live here until the New Heaven and New Earth are established by God. The New Heaven and New Earth will be our eternal home (Revelation 21:1-5).
The New Heaven and New Earth will be established after the Millennial Kingdom. Within the New Heaven and New Earth, there will be no more pain, crying, or death (Revelation 21:4). However, until the time of the establishment of the New Heaven and New Earth, we will have the privilege of living in Heaven when we pass away.
We can prepare our hearts for the day we are in Heaven by reflecting on a few Bible verses. Here are five Bible verses to prepare your heart for Heaven.
1. Philippians 3:20-21
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21).
As the Apostle Paul tells us in this passage of Scripture, our citizenship is in Heaven and we eagerly await our Savior Jesus Christ from there. He will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body. The Lord will bring us safely to Heaven when our time comes. Our citizenship is found in Heaven because we are children of the King.
This is a beautiful truth to always keep in the front of our minds. Our citizenship is not found on the earth, which is why we don’t fit in with the world. We are not part of the world anymore than Jesus is part of the world (John 17:16). Since this is true, we can rest in the knowledge that we will finally belong in Heaven. Heaven is our home, and we will finally meet Jesus face-to-face.
2. John 14:2-4
“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going” (John 14:2-4).
John 14:2-4 details Jesus’ conversation with His disciples; however, His words also apply to us in the present day. When the Lord refers to His Father’s house, He is referring to Heaven. Heaven has many rooms, which means it is large and limitless. The Lord has already been preparing a place for us since the time He returned to the Father. He will return and take us to be with Him in Heaven.
The Lord tells us many key thoughts through this passage, and we can reflect on them as we are preparing our hearts for Heaven. Jesus has a place for us, and we will be welcomed with open arms. We know the way to the place where He is going because Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). By placing faith in Jesus, we know the way to Heaven—it is through Him. We can look forward to this day with hearts of joy.
3. Colossians 3:1-4
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4).
The wise words of Paul in Colossians 3:1-4 remind us of the importance of setting our hearts on things above—where Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. Instead of setting our minds on earthly things, we need to set our minds on heavenly things, such as Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. We died to ourselves in order to live for God. This is not something we should overlook as we will appear with Jesus in glory one day.
This one day will be realized in Heaven. The entire focus of our earthly lives needs to be on Jesus and spreading the Gospel message. We should want to help as many people as possible come to know the Lord. Only those who place faith in Jesus will go to Heaven as unbelievers will face eternal separation. With this knowledge, we need to do all we can to help others also set their hearts on things above—not on earthly things.
4. Luke 23:43
“Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise’” (Luke 23:43).
These are the words Jesus told the believing criminal as they hung on the cross. The believing criminal did not doubt Jesus and placed faith in Him. Jesus tells the believing criminal that on this very day, he would be with Him in paradise. The paradise Jesus is speaking of is Heaven. From this one account of the Bible, we can see all that is required for salvation is faith.
The believing criminal didn’t have time to go and do “good deeds.” All he had time for was faith and that is all that is required (Ephesians 2:8-9). Placing faith in Jesus is a beautiful blessing that is for everyone. Even if a person places faith in Jesus within the last few seconds they are on earth, they are saved. Similar to the unbelieving criminal, the Lord tells us, “today you will be with me in paradise.”
5. 2 Corinthians 5:1
“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands” (2 Corinthians 5:1).
As the Apostle Paul tells us, if our earthly bodies are destroyed, we have an eternal home in Heaven. Once we are in Heaven, we will have our heavenly bodies. These bodies will never be destroyed, nor will they die. The only time our heavenly bodies will change will be when we are given our glorified bodies. Our glorified bodies will be bestowed upon us at the time of the rapture.
In Heaven, we will have a home. Heaven was not built by human hands. Rather, it was created by God Himself. Look forward to the day you are in Heaven because it will be glorious. Heaven will be beautiful, amazing, and wonderful. Never will there be a day of pain or heartbreak.
Heaven is where we belong. The world is a wicked place and we can praise the Lord that He brings us out of this evil world. One day, when we pass away, we will stand before the Lord in Heaven. Prepare your heart now with these Bible verses and trust Jesus with the future. Heaven is nothing to be afraid of—it is our beautiful home.
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Vivian Bricker loves Jesus, studying the Word of God, and helping others in their walk with Christ. She has earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master's degree in Christian Ministry with a deep academic emphasis in theology. Her favorite things to do are spending time with her family and friends, reading, and spending time outside. When she is not writing, she is embarking on other adventures.